Give Peace A Chance

This past week, March 19, marked a half a decade of this country being at War. The human cost so far is almost 4,000 U.S. military members have died, and more than 29,000 have been wounded. The dollar cost $500 billion and counting.

The anniversary was marked by protestors all over the country and around the world. Some blocked the Interal Revenue Service Buidling in Washington to protest our tax dollars being used for the war. Peace vigils and sit-ins converged on major cities and small towns. Protesters banged drums and held up signs with messages such as "What's our exit strategy?" Others gathered at war memorials to honor those we have lost and read the names of the dead.

Activist in the news: One woman, 54 years young, from Cape Cod is still going strong as an activist for peace. For the last five years, Diane Turco, a Harwich special education teacher has protested the war in Iraq, (by organizing bus trips to Washington D.C. for peace rallies, letters to Congress, urging an end to funding of the war, organizing protests around the Cape, and more). “It all started when she gave birth to her daughter 26 years ago. Seeing her daughter for the first time Turco’s initial thought was how connected people were around the world. Mothers everywhere want the best for their children. ‘The world is a small place,’ she said, and she wanted people safe, regardless of what country they happened to call their birth place.”

Whether you agree or not that the starting this war was a good thing or a bad thing isn’t the issue any more. What is important is supporting our troops, bringing them home, and rebuilding our credibility with other nations around the world.

It saddens me that our country finds itself in another tragic war. I can still remember wearing my P.O.W. braclet proudly and crying as I watched the news coverage of the Viet Nam war throughout most of my teen years in the 60s. But it also makes this old heart fill with pride to know that the spirit of peace and activism is going strong.

I support our troops 100% and I am definitely proud to be an American, but I also proudly add my voice and support to those fighting to end the war and working for peace.

Some ways I support our troops and you can too:
Books for Soldiers (send books, magazines, and other reading material); Any Soldier (what and where to send packages); Soliders' Angels ("may no soldier go unloved", lots of ways to help), Keystone Soldiers - includes: Socks For Troops, Sand Scarfs (specially made to protect soldiers from hot dry sand); Handmade Afghan Project (knit or crochet 6x9 rectangles, mail to HAP who makes them into blankets for wounded soliders), and Scarf and Helmet Liners for Troops - knit or crochet instructions for these much needed items for our troops.